Fixed platform for deep sea depths able to house plants, equipments structures, men and means

ABSTRACT

A platform is described which is adapted to house an industrial plant, apparatus for drilling off-shore wells in a deep sea and personnel for operating such plants and apparatus, and which is constituted by a triangular bridge assembly and vertical support means including a triangular upper section projecting above the surface of the water, a triangular base whose diameter is greater than the diameter of the upper section and a triangular intermediate section connecting the upper section with the base so that the bridge assembly is held in fixed position above the surface of the sea. The base is formed from three opposed reticular pyramidal members whose apices bear, respectively, upon supports having a conical form with an upwardly extending vertex and provided with a hollow caisson bearing a hollow, vertical stabilization column extending upwardly therefrom which are adapted to receive a fluid controlling the buoyancy of the platform so that it may be caused to float or rest upon the sea bed in vertical position.

United States Patent Magnanini FIXED PLATFORM FOR DEEP SEA DEPTHS ABLE TO HOUSE PLANTS, EQUIPMENTS STRUCTURES, MEN AND MEANS lnventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Umberto Magnanini, San Donato Milanese, Italy Tecnomare S.p.A., San Donato Milanese, Italy May 22, 1974 Appl. No.: 472,234

Related US. Application Data 1 Aug. 12, 1975 3,456,447 7/1969 MacKintosh 61/465 Primary Examiner-Jacob Shapiro 5 7 ABSTRACT A platform is described which is adapted to house an industrial plant, apparatus for drilling off-shore wells in a deep sea and personnel for operating such plants and apparatus, and which is constituted by a triangular bridge assembly and vertical support means including a triangular upper section projecting above the surface of the water, a triangular base whose diameter is greater than the diameter of the upper section and a triangular intermediate section connecting the upper section with the base so that the bridge assembly is held in fixed position above the surface of the sea. The base is formed from three opposed reticular pyramidal members whose apices bear, respectively, upon supports having a conical form with an upwardly extending vertex and provided with a hollow caisson bearing a hollow, vertical stabilization column extending upwardly therefrom which are adapted to receive a fluid controlling the buoyancy of the platform so that it may be caused to float or rest upon the sea bed in vertical position.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 3,898,847 PATENTEU AUG 1 219. 5

FIG.1

FIXED PLATFDRM FOR DEEP SEA DEPTHS ABLE TO HOUSE PLANTS, EQUIPMENTS STRUCTURES, MEN AND MEANS This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 270,733, filed July 11, 1972 now abandoned.

The subject of the present invention is a fixed platform which is located at a sea depth, and emerges above the upper level of the water. Said platform is adapted to house industrial plants, apparatus and men for the drilling of wells, the separation, the treatment,

the storage and the transfer of fluids; and may be used as support base for the development of any other operation of industrial scientific or technical type, which requires a support base fixed off shore in deep sea water. In the prior art three are known fixed platforms and platforms which extend above the upper level of the water which, besides being held in the deep sea depths by means of piles fixed in it, present technical features noticeably worse than the platform which is the subject of the present invention, such as requiring a remarkably larger amount of steel.

The invention is now described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form, given only by way of unrestrictive example, it being possible to make numerous modifications without departing from the scope and from the characteristics of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the platform.

FIG. 2 is a froont elevation of the platform.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the platform.

FIG. 4 is a leg of the platform resting on the sea bottom.

The fixed platform which is the subject of the present invention, is constituted of three principal elements:

the bridge indicated by number 1 in FIG. 2, which emerges entirely over the upper level of the water, the support substructure of the bridge shown by numbers 5 and 6 in FIG. 2, and the base indicated by number 10 in FIG. 2. The bridge assembly shown in FIG. 2 is constituted by a lower floor 2 and by an upper floor 3 connected between them by reticular structures 4. The function of the upper and lower floor is that of acting as housing surface for men, means systems, structures, equipments, laboratories, etc., and for those activities of industrial, scientific, technical nature which must be carried out or which require a supporting base offshore in deep sea depths.

The bridge assembly is borne by and is fastened to the understruture. The bridge supporting understructure of triangular shape consists in two sections illustrated in FIG. 2 by numbers 5 and 6.

The section, immediately under the bridge, indicated by the number 5 in FIG. 2 consists of three tubular columns 7.

In the lower section 6 the three tubular columns 8 gradually diverge and are connected to each other by means of derrick braces 9.

The lower section 6 is supported by the base shown in FIG. 2, by number 10, which is constituted by three reticular pyramidal elements shown by number in FIG. 3, each of which ends on a support having conical form with the vertex upwards as shown by the number 11 in FIG. 4.

The conical shape 11 is defined by the lower surface of a thrust caisson 12. Each caisson 12 is suitably attached to the end of its associated pyramidal element 15.

The number 12, the function of each caisson is that of floating the platform, therefore allowing the construction in a dock and the towing of the same always in condition of floating, to the place of installation.

The caissons may be constructed of any suitable material. In any type construction the elements extend into the caissons and are positioned therein to have their ends positioned in line with the apex of the conical support surface 11.

The platform is sunk by letting compressed air escape from the caissons and at the same time by flooding them.

In order to execute the sinking operation in conditions of utmost safety there is provided an appropriate equipment which allows continuous control of the inclination of the structure and the level of the water in the caissons and remote control of the breather and flooding valves.

The instrumentation may be of the type such that the control and drive operations can be made at the most suitable distance from the measuring sensors and from the driven devices and/or eventually from a mothership.

Inside every caisson is inserted a cylindrical stabilization column the function of which is that of assuring the stability of the platform during the sinking operations.

Said caissons can be employed usefully for storage purposes.

The substructure and the base have the function of supporting the load charged on the bridge, and to transmit it to the sea bottom, by means of conical supports having the vertices pointing upward.

Such bearings allow the wanted pressure to be exerted bearing allow on the sea bed; their particular shape moreover, is suitable to reduce such pressure by increasing the support surface by means of cementating operations of the free volume of the cone, as shown by number 14 in FIG. 4.

The three elements of the base structure 15 in FIG. 3 are pre-fabricated on land, but are connected to each other and to support elements 12 in the building dock.

The platform, without the bridge, is towed in vertical position to the place of installation place by means of towboats; the floatation and the stability of the whole is assured by three thrust caissons 12. At the place of installation the platform is sunk by flooding the thrust caissons, always in vertical position.

The stability of the platform during the sinking is assured by stabilization cylinders indicated by number 13 in FIG. 2.

The platform is protected against the underwashing of the sea depth due to possible currents, through the undertray shown by the number 16 in FIG. 4 and through the circumferential rings 17.

Said rings allow the subdivision of the support load on the sea depth by, increasing the stability of the platform.

Although the present invention has been described in correlation with a specific embodiment, numerous variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A floatable deep sea platform comprising:

a horizontal bridge member adapted to provide a working area above the surface of the sea;

a rigid support structure attached to and extending downwardly from said bridge member, said structure including a first substructure directly below said bridge member, said substructure being triangular in horizontal cross-section and having a constant crosssectional area,

a second substructure attached to and extending downwardly from said first substructure, said second substructure being triangular in horizontal cross-section and having a cross-sectional area which increases at increasing distance from said bridge member, and

a base section composed of three outwardly extending opposed pyramidal members attached at their bases to said second substructure;

support means attached at the outer end of each pyramidal member, each said support means including a hollow caisson defining a support surface at its r 4 lower end, adapted to be positioned onthe sea bed, and a hollow stabilization column extending upwardly from each said caisson and in communication therewith;

and means for delivering fluid into said caissons and said stabilization columns to control the buoyancy of the platform, whereby said platform may be floated in an upright orientation for movement at sea and lowered vertically onto the sea bed.

2. The platform of claim 1, wherein each of said caissons defines a conical support surface at its lower end, the associated pyramidal member being attached to said caisson so that the end of the pyramidal member is in line with the vertex of said conical support surface.

3. The platform of claim 2, wherein each of said support means further includes a circumferential ring adapted and arranged to prevent the washing away of the portion of the sea bed bearing said support means.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO; 3,898,847

DATED August 12, 1975 INVENTOR(S) Umberto Magnanini IN THE SPECIFICATION:

. col. 1, line 15, "three" should read --there--; col. 1, line g 29, "fro ont" should read --front--; col. 2, line 34, delete "bearing allow"; col. 2, line 36, "cementating" should read --cementation--; col. 2, line 43, after "installation" cancel --place-- Columns 5 and T as shown on the attached sheet should be included, but will apply exclusively to the grant.

0 Signed and Scaled thi [SEAL] Sixteenth Da 'of March 1976 Arrest:

RUTH c. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Off/(er Commissioner oflarents and Tradem k lower end. adapted to be positioned on the sea bed. and a hollow stabilization column extending upwardly from each said caisson and in communication therewith;

and means for delivering fluid into said caissons and said stabilization columns to control the buoyancy of the platform, whereby said platform may be floated in an upright orientation for movement at sea and lowered vertically onto the sea bed.

2. The platform of claim 1, wherein each of said caissons defines a conical support surface at its lower end, the associated pyramidal member being attached to said caisson so that the end of the pyramidal member is in line with the vertex of said conical support surface.

3. The platform of claim 2, wherein each of said sup port means further includes a circumferential ring adapted and arranged to prevent the washing away of the portion of the sea bed bearing said support means. i i k a rigid support structure attached to and extending downwardly from said bridge member. said. struc ture including a first substructure directly below said bridge member, said substructure being triangular in hori- 5 zontal cross-section and having a constant crosssectional area. a second substructure attached to and extending downwardly from said first substructure, said second substructure being triangular in horizontal cross-section and having a cross-sectional area which increases at increasing distance from said bridge member, and

a base section composed of three outwardly extending opposed pyramidal members attached at their bases to said second substructure;

. support means attached at the outer end of each pyramidal member, each said support means including a holldvi fcaisson defining a support surface at its 26 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CETIFMATE OF CORRECTIQN PATENT NO. 3 ,898,847

DATED August 12 1975 lN\/ENTOR(S) Umberto Magnanini It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: 0

After "[63] Continuation of Sero No. 270,733, July ll, 1972, abandoned" the following should appear:

' Foreign Application Priority Data ocooooooaoooooooooo "0 fiigned and eaie tr's Twentieth Day of July 1976 Q [SEAL] 5 Arrest: i

1 RUTH C-. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner ofPare nrs and Trademarks 

1. A floatable deep sea platform comprising: a horizontal bridge member adapted to provide a working area above the surface of the sea; a rigid support structure attached to and extenDing downwardly from said bridge member, said structure including a first substructure directly below said bridge member, said substructure being triangular in horizontal cross-section and having a constant cross-sectional area, a second substructure attached to and extending downwardly from said first substructure, said second substructure being triangular in horizontal cross-section and having a crosssectional area which increases at increasing distance from said bridge member, and a base section composed of three outwardly extending opposed pyramidal members attached at their bases to said second substructure; support means attached at the outer end of each pyramidal member, each said support means including a hollow caisson defining a support surface at its lower end, adapted to be positioned on the sea bed, and a hollow stabilization column extending upwardly from each said caisson and in communication therewith; and means for delivering fluid into said caissons and said stabilization columns to control the buoyancy of the platform, whereby said platform may be floated in an upright orientation for movement at sea and lowered vertically onto the sea bed.
 2. The platform of claim 1, wherein each of said caissons defines a conical support surface at its lower end, the associated pyramidal member being attached to said caisson so that the end of the pyramidal member is in line with the vertex of said conical support surface.
 3. The platform of claim 2, wherein each of said support means further includes a circumferential ring adapted and arranged to prevent the washing away of the portion of the sea bed bearing said support means. 